Question

Compare and contrast the views of the religious modernists and fundamentalists. How did Darwinism and the Scopes trial symbolize the conflict between the two?

Answer 1

The religious modernists were a group of theologians and clergy who embraced modernity and aimed to reconcile science and religion. They believed that God was still active in the world and that religious truth could be discovered through reason and science. The fundamentalists, on the other hand, were a group of conservative Christians who reacted against modernity. They believed that the Bible was the literal word of God and that science was incompatible with Christianity.

The Scopes trial was a symbol of the conflict between the two groups. The trial was held to determine whether a high school teacher, John Scopes, had violated a Tennessee law by teaching evolution. The modernists supported Scopes, while the fundamentalists opposed him. The trial was a victory for the fundamentalists, but it ultimately helped to publicize the modernists' views and to promote religious tolerance.